Become a Peer Coach

Peer coaching is a unique and rewarding volunteer opportunity through which you support and motivate someone towards a healthier future. Peer coaches work with people who have identified healthy living goals and support their success in one of the following areas:

• Becoming more active
• Healthy eating
• Managing a healthy weight
• Stopping/reducing smoking

Peer coaching works best between people who share life experiences and can relate to one another. Matches are based on several factors including language and cultural considerations, gender preference, and peer coach availability.

Peer coaches are not “experts” but instead help participants access their own inner resources by listening and asking questions. It is a different approach from other forms of support like counselling or personal training. The coach's role is to support setting goals, identifying roadblocks and strategies to overcome them, and providing ongoing motivation for the participant. 

The Peer Coaching Program is telephone-based. Coach and participant connect by phone up to six times over a three month period and do not meet in person.

To become a peer coach, volunteers attend a PVN orientation session to become an activated patient. They then attend a free one-day training program to receive training in motivational interviewing and goal setting. Peer coaches then work individually with a Peer Coach Mentor, who provides interactive training and support throughout their involvement with the program. Skill-building teleconferences and webinars are also available for continued learning and networking with other coaches.

Interested in becoming a peer coach? Register to become an activated patient and complete the peer coaching section of the form.

Interested in being matched with a peer coach? Learn more about the program or register today.

Questions? Contact the Peer Coaching Liaison at connect@patientvoices.ca